Sri Yagam Day 3

The third day of the Sri Yagam got off to a magnificent start this morning. The ruthwiks all assembled in the Yaga Sala to perform puja at the four passageways to the center of the Yaga Sala. H.H. Sri Sri Sri Tridandi Chinna Srimannarayana Ramanuja Jeeyar Swamiji arrived on the scene to start off the fourth day historic event and give his darshan to all the devotees. Swamiji performed mangala:sasanam to the divine perumal, Kodandarama Swami. After mangalasasanam was completed, the ruthwiks offered the beginning of the various hymns from the Vedas, sastras, ithihasas, and Upanishads at the feet of perumal. HH gave thirtham to all the ruthwiks and devotees who were present at that time. Then, Swamiji left the Yaga Sala to go to the Pravachana Mandapam to guide devotees on how to perform Srinivasa puja. Swamiji enlightened the devotees on the appropriateness of performing Srinivasa puja during the Sri Yagam. Yagam is basically a ritual prescribed by Vedas. It means the worship of devathas. We perform the yaga to enjoy the real wealth with the grace of Sri:. There are many ways of worshipping Lord like through fire, with flowers, with our thoughts or with service. Any activity dedicated to Lord becomes yagam – Lord Krushna mentions in Githa. Whatever we do to keep up this body too becomes worship when we realize this body as a mobile temple since lord is the indweller of all beings. The foundation for all this is faith. Sasthras ordain that we should dedicate every work to the Lord.

While doing the daily chores like cooking food, if we cook for the Lord it becomes divine or else it gets polluted. People may doubt the existence of God but none denies the grace of Sri
Mahalakshmi. Mother’s grace is not limited to money alone. Every aspect of life is a result of her grace. All abilities in the world are various forms of Sri Maha Lakshmi. For example, health, wealth, beauty, good children, good life, education, etc. are some of her multitude of forms. Sri Yagam is to please Lakshmi Devi. Her divine abode is the lord’s chest. We pray to her to come to us with her divine abode. Lord Srinivasa is identified with the presence of Sri Mahalakshmi. Bhagavat Ramanuja consecrated Lakshmi Devi in the lord’s chest. So, Ramanujacharya became father to Alivelumanga and father-in-law to Lord Srinivasa. She is called ‘Vakshasthala Vyuha Lakshmi’ – sitting in a lotus with two hands (not four hands). She is the reason why he is called the real Sri… Nivasa. Srinivasa appeared on this Earth on a Monday when the star was Sravana. Today, it is Monday, and the star is Sravanam. All the participants performed the Srinivasa Puja splendidly with devotion due to the guidance of HH. Meanwhile, after HH left the Yaga Sala, the Nakshatra and Sri Yagam homams were promptly started. No ishti was conducted today. The air was filled with Vedic chants as ruthwiks from all the kundas offered oblations simultaneously. After the Srinivasa puja was concluded, HH arrived at the Yaga Sala for the noon purnahuti. Devotees and ruthwiks partook in prasadam afterwards.

Everyone assembled in the pravachana mandapam at 5:00 pm for VSNP led by HH. After the parayanam all the devotees took part in the chanting of the third mass prayer along with Swamiji. While the theme of yesterday’s mass prayer was praying to Lord in the form of Acharya, today’s mass prayer theme was about his weapons being tools that frighten the wicked but bring joy to the devotees. During the Kurukshetra War, the sound of Krishna’s conch, Panchajanya,terrified the Kauravas, but inspired and comforted the Pandavas. We pray to lord with the five weapons and many more ornaments, that don’t add glory to the lord, but shield him from our evil eye. The Sudarsana Chakra, which adorns the Lord’s right hand, keeps rotating, signifying that ever running TIME is under his control. The impact of the Chakra burns all uncontrollable movements of the mind to allow us to spend more time in his service. The Panchajanya, in the left hand of the Lord, pierces the hearts of enemies, while brining joy to devotees. It drives out the Ahankara present in us with its power. Lord’s maze ‘koumodaki’ symbolizes our intellect. Let our intelligence be put in the right direction by Koumodaki to be able to surrender at the Lord’s lotus feet. Saaranga the divine bow in the Lord’s hand had humbled the wicked forces many a time. Our senses which are like sharp arrows aim for the mundane pleasures ignoring the eternal bliss. Oh! Lord! Bless us so that our senses aim at the righteous values and respond to your commands.

Nandakam is Lord’s brilliant sword of wisdom. We bow to Nandakam to eradicate the darkness of ignorance in us and bless us with great wisdom to serve him wholly. Srivatsam on the lord’s chest symbolizes the alluring nature. We are drawn to the beauties of mundane nature unmindful of the dangers of drowning in samsara. We pray to Srivatsam to entangle us from the temporary attractions and hook us to the attributes of Lord. Bless us to realize that everything we see here is your form and be friendly with everything and serve them as your service. After the prayer there was a cultural program of veena recital. HH concluded the Sriyagam 3rd day program with purnahuthi and sattumurai. Then we attended the final program of the day. The Lord with his consorts has been taken out in a grand procession. We all enjoyed the purappadu utsavam. The divine couple were decked up with beautiful fragrant white chrysanthemums bordered with pink and yellow flowers. The resplendent ornaments glowed in different tints. They wore dazzling diamond crowns. Swamiji guided Perumal’s bewitching walk. At times, He walked like the king of the forests, exhibiting his valor. Sometimes he walked swiftly like a horse, and others he walked slowly and majestically, just like an elephant. He walked proudly, being the sovereign of
this vast universe. Every mode of his walk was enchanting so was the smile. His fascinating walk was accompanied by melodious and lively music, which the devotees danced to, the devotion and pure ecstasy clearly evident on their faces. HH led the whole procession, and even led a lively dance after completing one pradakshinam. The palanquin resembled a serpent slithering on the
ground and suddenly holding up its hood high into the sky. It moved very fast going back and forth. The procession went round the yagasala and came out. All the time the full moon in the clear sky followed the Lord. The cool breeze gave comfort to him and his devotees. The lord reached his retiring chambers. Swamiji fondly gave harathi to him and went inside to put him to sleep. The devotees left to the dining hall with their hearts filled with delight and a pleasant satisfaction. Thus the day's proceedings of the Sri Yagam came to a conclusion.